Umesh Pal murder: Vijay Mishra spoke regularly to Atiq’s brother Ashraf, show call details

The investigation revealed that Vijay Mishra and Ashraf were in regular contact till February 20. On February 20, Vijay Mishra spoke to Ashraf over the phone three times

During the course of investigation into the Umesh Pal murder case, the Prayagraj Police secured call recordings of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed’s lawyer Vijay Mishra with Atiq’s younger brother Khalid Azeem aka Ashraf who was lodged in Bareilly jail at the time.

Vijay Mishra was first detained by a police team in Lucknow on July 29 night and then arrested by Prayagraj Police on July 30. (For Representation)

The duo spoke to each other just four days before Umesh Pal’s murder on February 24 this year. Moreover, the duo was also in contact through FaceTime App, police probe has revealed. Atiq’s other jailed lawyer Khan Saulat Hanif also gave vital clues to police about Vijay Mishra’s involvement in the murders of Pal and his two police guards.

Vijay Mishra was first detained by a police team in Lucknow on July 29 night and then arrested by the Prayagraj Police on July 30. Prior to Mishra’s arrest, the police collected concrete evidence against him.

The investigation revealed that Vijay Mishra and Ashraf were in regular contact till February 20. On February 20, Vijay Mishra spoke to Ashraf over the phone three times. The longest call was made for 7.12 minutes, call records revealed.

Moreover, Ashraf used the public call office (PCO) at jail for calling Ashraf multiple times. Besides, the duo was also in contact with each other through FaceTime App installed on their iphones. The ID Chhote 006 was created by Ashraf for talking on FaceTime App to Vijay Mishra.

Police officials said that call records have also showed that Vijay Mishra spoke to Ashraf regularly on the phone from March 1 to April 10. Both Ashraf and his bother Atiq Ahmed were shot dead by three assailants while in police custody in Prayagraj on April 15 night. Atiq’s jailed lawyer Khan Saulat Hanif had sent photographs of Umesh to Asad and other assailants.

Vijay Mishra was aware of the planning and inputs provided to Asad and other assailants. During questioning while in custody remand, Khan Saulat Hanif confessed that Vijay Mishra and he were well aware of the planning to kill Umesh Pal. Vijay Mishra was also present in the court on February 24.

He was providing information to Saulat about Umesh’s location which Saulat was forwarding to the assailants. Police officials questioned Vijay Mishra before he was produced before the court on Sunday and sent to Naini jail. Officials said that Vijay admitted that he committed a mistake by helping Atiq Ahmed and his gang members.

DCP, Prayagraj city, Deepak Bhukar said Vijay Mishra was in regular touch with Ashraf and was involved in the conspiracy of Umesh Pal’s murder. Police collected concrete evidence against him, he added.